Mental health concerns us all!

One of the major issues identified for the mental health of the teaching community is the management of its emotional health. This is also an issue for students and young adults for whom stress management is more difficult. The COVID-19 pandemic has not helped. Some of us feel helpless, stressed or anxious about these major changes in our daily lives and habits. Others feel worried and afraid for their loved ones. Many feel alone working at home, with few social contacts, and in facilities that are not necessarily ergonomic and adapted to our needs. There are all those who are overworked. For example, the workload of university and college teachers has doubled since March 2020! There are all those who struggle to motivate themselves to work, day after day, and feel guilty for not progressing at the pace initially planned. Finally, there are those who, having temporarily lost access to offices and laboratories, have become discouraged, or even live in financial precariousness having had to extend their studies and no longer having funding.

Five warning signs that your mental health or that of a closed one is deteriorating:

• Distress
• Changes in personality
• Occasional absences and absenteeism
• Degradation in performance
• Extreme behaviours (e.g., alcohol and drug use)

Take care of yourself first and learn to self-diagnose your mental health. This way, you will be prepared to take care of your loved ones, your students, your employees, etc. and to detect distress in others.

Some resources:

• UL Student Help Center, including podcasts on motivation, time management and focus!
• Free courses:
  • Managing Emotions in Times of Uncertainty & Stress: https://fr.coursera.org/learn/managing-emotions-uncertainty-stress
  • The Science of Well-Being: https://fr.coursera.org/learn/the-science-of-well-being
• Psychological Health Barometer (self-assessment tool): https://www.ciusss-capitalenationale.gouv.qc.ca/sites/default/files/00-CORONAVIRUS/fiche-information-covid-19-barometre-sante-psychologique.pdf. Recommended to do it weekly, at least!
• Entrac has provided a free teleworking kit with a guide, video and webinar to ensure your workstation is ergonomically sound. The effect that an inadequate environment can have on our mental health should not be overlooked.
  Financial Hardship Grant: https://repertoire.bbaf.ulaval.ca/bourse/56910/bourse-de-precarite-financiere
• For those in the workforce, here is a one-hour, online training that may be of interest to you (in French): Mental Health Self-Management as a Lever to Get Better offered by the Continuing Education Department.
• The Active Meeting Guide, intended for all employees and managers who wish to put into practice actions that will allow them to reduce sedentary behaviours and increase physical activity during the work day. It also provides practical tips and tricks for incorporating movement into the workday, regardless of location or context
• Getting better… my way is a self-management support tool that can help you regain your balance and feel good again : https://allermieux.criusmm.net/en/am-home/

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